RECEIVING PRAISE: Perhaps lost in Saturday night's debacle against Southern Cal was some improved play by Nebraska's wide receivers.

Dropped balls were a concern through two games, but against the Trojans, guys like Maurice Purify, Nate Swift, Todd Peterson, Terrence Nunn and Dan Erickson made tough catches.

For that, quarterback Sam Keller is thankful.

“Every single one of them showed up and played with toughness and caught some tough balls,” said Keller, who completed 36 passes in 54 attempts.

“They hung in there, played tough, took some hits, (were) blocking downfield. I think the wide receivers were the strength of our team that night. Absolutely.”

Purify, after what could be labeled a sub-par performance against Wake Forest in his first game of the year, led Nebraska with a career-high seven receptions for 80 yards.

“Wake Forest, I was just knocking some rust off," Purify said. "First game, first-game atmosphere wasn’t as great as this atmosphere. I was a little more focused on this game, because I wanted to have a big game.”

Coach Bill Callahan complimented his receivers, saying they played fast and matched USC’s secondary.

“Our receivers did a great job for (Keller), and I think that’s an extension of his performance," Callahan said. "When your receivers are running full-speed and running crisp routes and getting open, you’ve got timing and rhythm. It makes it a lot easier for a quarterback.”

FAMILIAR WORDS: Callahan stuck to his favorite phrase "day-to-day" when discussing the status of Zach Potter, Zackary Bowman and Cody Glenn — players who again didn't practice Thursday because of injury.

If defensive end Potter and cornerback Bowman can’t go, the challenge for the Husker defense only gets harder against a Ball State offense that had produced impressive numbers.

Sophomore quarterback Nate Davis, averaging more than 260 yards a game passing, is one guy Callahan is especially impressed with.

"The thing about it is he's got such a strong arm, he can pick up the deep defenders because he has excellent vision and he can rope it," Callahan said. "It's just not like he can (just) throw a 20-yard scramble, but he can throw it 40, 50, 60 yards, so that's what makes him dangerous."

BY THE NUMBERS

5

Number of Ball State students who painted themselves last Saturday for the Cardinals’ 34-31 overtime win against  Navy.

“A couple of things just to open up. We had a lot of good support at Navy,” Ball State coach Brady Hoke said. “I want to give some kudos to five students who painted themselves up. I don't know who they were, but it got our fans fired up and that was kind of neat.”

SCOUTING REPORT

CB Armando Murillo

So-so.

That’s how Husker junior cornerback Armando Murillo described his performance against Southern Cal.

He said there were a few times he was out of position and didn’t make plays against the run.

Against the pass, however, the junior college transfer has been pretty good.

He did have one bad play against Wake Forest, a 61-yard pass play where he got caught looking into the backfield.

He takes full responsibility for that.

“There was supposed to be a middle-of-the-field safety, but he had to go cover somebody else,” Murillo said. “I thought it was run, so I kind of slowed down, then the dude took off across the middle. Then I saw the quarterback rolling across the other way and I was like, ‘Uh, oh.’”

Murillo said he’s become good about shaking the “uh, ohs” off.

“If you let that get to you, more is coming,” he said.

OPPONENT WATCH

Colorado

The Buffs have a senior linebacker chasing a record. He doesn’t care.

Jordon Dizon, from Waimea, Hawaii, is leading the nation in tackles three games into the season. He has 51 total tackles and is on pace to eclipse the school-record 183 tackles made by Ray Cone in 1982.

What’s more interesting than that perhaps is the confident way they’re talking again in Boulder.

"I couldn't care less," Dizon said of his nation-leading status to the Boulder (Colo.) Daily Camera. "If we win the Big 12 championship and I'm leading in tackles, yeah, that would be awesome. If we don't win the championship and I'm leading in tackles, it means absolutely nothing.”